IT'S TIME TO STRATEGIZE PATIENT ENGAGEMENT

As a healthcare leader, a pertinent question to ask is, “Are we inspiring confidence? Not just happiness but confidence. And along with that, are we ensuring convenience?”.

In today's context, leading patient experience (PX) performance revolves around technology and communication, with the primary focus being on the patients rather than the technology itself.

Creating a tailored strategy for patient engagement is essential to facilitate good, consistent, clear, and compassionate communication with patients.

Technology plays a significant role in this strategy, and the adoption of telehealth and digital health has transformed the patient engagement platform into a real-time communication tool. While patient interactions were previously measured by phone calls and printed questionnaires, healthcare organizations now have access to a wide range of tools, such as online surveys, messaging platforms, and other resources that allow patients to interact at their convenience.

The availability of more data also helps in making communications more meaningful and enhances the quality of care provided.

Patient engagement is assessed through various types of patient satisfaction surveys, with results often based on Net Promoter Score (NPS) and/or Likelihood To Recommend (LTR) scores.

Digital health tools offer precision that enables healthcare leaders to delve into specific aspects and determine the effectiveness of communication with patients. This goes beyond benchmarking against other health systems and allows for a detailed analysis of what a hospital or network is doing right or wrong in meeting patient needs.

Effective patient engagement requires healthcare leaders to consider both external and internal factors. Workforce shortages can impact services, affecting the patient's healthcare experience. Staff stress and burnout influence morale, ultimately impacting the patient's environment and experience.

As a PX Leader, understanding workflows is crucial for success.

The pandemic intensified staffing issues but also highlighted opportunities to address these challenges using telehealth. Integrating virtual care with in-person services, either as a supplement or a replacement, addresses workforce gaps and enhances access to care for patients. Offering multiple ways for patients to access care encourages them to continue their healthcare journey with the health system.

Ensuring sustainability in the patient experience is paramount.

However, there's a risk of going too far in attempts to connect with patients. Having the technology for real-time communication doesn't mandate its constant use. PX Leaders need to implement strategies considering the preferred communication channels of patients, along with how often and when patients wish to be contacted.

The ultimate goal is to position the health system as a trusted resource, fostering confidence among patients.